Crimping device for shotgun shells



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ATTORNEYS CRIMPING DEVICE FOR SHOTGUN SHELLS Willis C. Miller, Sacramento, Calif.

Application May 26, 1953, Serial No. 357,418

7 Claims. (Cl. 8640) This invention relates generally to a device for use in reloading used shotgun shells; the invention being directed particularly to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel manually actuated device for quickly and effectively crimping the outer end of a shotgun shell after it is re primed and loaded with powder and shot, with suitable wadding therebetween.

Another object of this invention is to provide a crimping device, for shotgun shells, which is operative to effect the desired result with a single down-stroke of a novel plunger unit which the device embodies; the plunger unit, in addition to its function to crimp the shell, also acting to size the same.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a.

crimping device, for shotgun shells, arranged in combination with a turntable ring which supports previously reprirned and reloaded shells in an annular row for successive disposition of the shells in alinement below the plunger unit for the crimping operation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a crimping device, for shotgun shells, which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, simplicity of use, and high capacity.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable crimping device for shotgun shells, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims,

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the device taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the parts in their raised or starting position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but shows the plunger unit partially lowered to effect the initial infolding of the shell end.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, but shows the plunger unit at the lower end of its stroke to complete the infolding or crimping of the shell end.

Fig. 6 is an end view of a shotgun shell after completion of the crimping operation.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the novel crimping device, for shotgun shells, comprises a horizontal mounting plate 1 fitted centrally thereof with a circular base 2 surrounded by a turntable ring 3; such ring having a plurality of vertical bores 4 therethrough in equally circumferentially spaced relation. The bores 4 are each adapted for the reception, from below, of an upwardly opening shotgun shell 5 which has previously been re-primed and loaded with powder and shot, with wadding therebetween.

Each bore 4 is enlarged at its lower end, as at 6, for the reception of the rim of the shell; placement of shells 2,749,791 Patented June 12, 1956 5 in the bores 4, and the removal of said shells therefrom, being made possible by notching out one corner of the mounting plate 1, as at 7. Such notched-out portion 7 is of an extent to overlie the path of the bores 4, and when the plate 1 is secured to a work bench or the like it is disposed with said notched-out portion 7 clear of the bench, or in alinement with a suitable opening in the latter.

The shotgun shells 5, after being placed in the turntable ring 3, are carried through a full-circle of motion by the latter, but which motion is step by step,- each step being a distance equal to the distance between the centers of adjacent bores 4.

The loading and wadding of the shotgun shells 5 carried in the turntable ring 3 is'accomplished step by step by means of the device shown in my copending application, Serial No. 355,779, filed May 18, 1953, and which device is mounted on the circular base 2, and cooperates with shells carried by the turntable ring 3 at a point ahead of the crimping device which is the subject of the instant invention. Such crimping device comprises the following:

As each previously reloaded shell is moved by the turntable ring 3 to the last station before return to the notchedout corner 7, which station is indicated generally at 8, such shell lies in direct vertical alinement but spaced below an initially raised plunger unit, indicated generally at 9. i

The plunger unit 9 comprises an outer plunger 10 which is carried in a fixed vertical guide sleeve 11 secured by an inwardly projecting web 12 to a standard 13 fixed on and upstanding from the circular base 2.

In the lower portion thereof the outer plunger 10 is formed with a central downwardly opening, shell receiving bore including an inwardly tapering annular shoulder 15.

The total effective axial length of the bore 14, including the shoulder 15, is substantially equal to the extent which the shell 5 at station 8 projects above the .top of the turntable ring 3.

Above the bore 14 and its annular shoulder 15, the outer plunger 10 is formed with an upwardly extending, reduced-diameter bore 16; the latter communicating at its lower end through the shoulder 15 with said bore 14.

A normally raised inner plunger 17 is disposed in the reduced-diameter bore 16, and said inner plunger 17 is of a length such that its lower end is normally above the annular shoulder 15.

A plunger rod 18 is fixed to the upper end of the inner plunger 17, and extends in slidable relation upwardly through and out of the outer plunger 10; thence being adjustably connected with a vertical link 19 whose upper end is pivotally connected, as at 20, to ahand lever 21 intermediate the ends of the latter.

The hand lever 21 initially extends at an upward and outward incline from its inner end, and the latter is pivoted, as at 22, to the upper end of a swing link 23 pivoted, as at 24, on the top of a post 25 which upstands centrally from the circular base 2. At its outer end the hand lever 21 is formed with a knurled grip 26.

An inverted, somewhat L-shaped latch arm 27 is pivoted, as at 28, to the link 19 intermediate its ends; the long leg of said latch arm 27 extending downwardly and having a lower end notch 29 which initially receives the upper end of the outer plunger 10. The latch arm 27 is yieldably maintained in position, with the upper end of the outer plunger 10 in notch 29, by means of a spring-pressed plunger 30 secured to link 19, and which works downwardly against the upper end of the latch arm 27.

A similar but upwardly working spring-pressed plunger 31 on link 23 works against the hand lever 21 to yield- 3 ably urge it to its raised starting position with the latch arm 27 then in latching position.

The guide sleeve 11 is vertically slotted, as at 32, to permit of downward travel of the latch arm 27 to a predetermined point, whence a laterally projecting pin 33 on the lower end of said latch arm 27 engages and is carried outwardly by a cam 34 on guide sleeve 11. This throws the latch arm 27 outwardly to a released positionagainst the action of spring-pressed plunger 30with respect to the outer plunger 10, for the purpose which will hereinafter appear.

When the plunger unit 9 is in its raised starting position, under the influence of the spring-pressed plunger 31, the upper end of the outer plunger 10 engages a stop 35 on the guide sleeve 11.

The operation of the above described device is as follows:

With a previously re-primed and reloaded shell disposed at station 8, in the successive step by step turning of the ring 3, the grip 26 is manually engaged, and the hand lever 21 is forcefully lowered. During the resultant initial portion of the downstroke thus imparted to the plunger unit 9, the outer plunger and the then raised inner plunger 17 move downwardly as a unit, and without relative movement between the parts. Thus, on the initial portion of the down-stroke of the plunger unit 9, the outer plunger 10 travels down to a point of abutment with the turntable ring 3; the upper portion of the shell 5 thus being projected into the bore 14 in sizing relation thereto.

When the upper end of the shell 5 strikes the annular shoulder 15, which is shortly before the outer plunger 10 comes into engagtment with the ring 3, continued and final downward travel of said outer plunger 10 causes said annular shoulder 15 to initially infold the upper end of the shell 5 to substantially frusto-conical configuration. See Fig. 4. The upper end of the shell readily assumes this position, for the reason that the initial infolding is on the same crimp or fold lines 36 formed atthe time of initial manufacture and crimping of the shell.

At the time the outer plunger 10 strikes the turntable ring 3, the pin 33 simultaneously rides the cam 34, throwing the latch arm 27 outwardly to its released position, as also shown in Fig. 4.

Thereafter, upon continuance of the down-stroke by the hand lever 21, said outer plunger 10 remains stationary, and the inner plunger 17 slides downwardly in the reduced-diameter bore 16, passes through the annular shoulder 15, and engages the initially infolded end of the shell 5 and presses such end downwardly to complete the crimping operation, as shown in Fig. 5.

The hand lever 21 is then released and it returns to raised position, also raising the plunger unit 9 to its corresponding position, and at which time the shell 5 is clear of the lower end of said plunger unit 9. The turntable ring 3 is then turned one step and the shell withdrawn downwardly out of said ring through the notched-out corner 7 of the mounting plate 1.

In order that the inner plunger 17 not produce undesirable air pressure in the plunger unit 9, the outer plunger 10 is formed with radial vents 37 therethrough adjacent but above the annular shoulder 15.

With the described crimping device the outer ends of shotgun shells can be crimped readily, positively, and quickly.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A crimping device, for shotgun shells, comprising a mount, means on the mount adapted to support an upwardly opening shotgun shell in a stationary position with its upper end portion exposed, a shell crimping plunger unit secured in connection with the mount in axial alinement with but initially spaced above the shell,

said plunger unit being operative to stroke downward into crimping engagement with the shell, and means arranged to cause such stroke of the plunger unit; said plunger unit including an outer plunger having a downwardly opening bore adapted on an initial portion of said stroke to receive said upper portion of the shell therein, means in the outer plunger operative to impart an initial intolding of the outer end of the shell upon its reception in said bore, and an inner plunger in the outer plunger normally above said initial infolding means operative upon completion of the stroke to move downward into engagement with said initially infolded end of the shell and to complete the infolding thereof whereby to crimp the shell; and said stroke-causing means including a hand lever above the plunger unit, said hand lever being arranged in connection with the amount for downward swinging from an initially raised position, and

instrumentalities associated with the hand lever and responsive to continuous downward swinging thereof operative to impart said initial portion of the stroke to both plungers, and said completion of the stroke solely to said inner plunger.

2. A crimping device, for shotgun shells, comprising a mount, means on the mount adapted to support an upwardly opening shotgun shell with its upper end portion exposed, a shell crimping plunger unit secured in connection with the mount in axial alinement with but initially spaced above the shell, said plunger unit being operative to stroke downward into crimping engagement with the shell, and means arranged to cause such stroke of the plunger unit; said plunger unit including an outer plunger having a downwardly opening bore adapted on an initial portion of said stroke to receive said upper portion of the shell therein, means in the outer plunger operative to impart an initial infolding of the outer end of the shell upon its reception in said bore, and an inner plunger in the outer plunger normally above said initial infolding means operative upon completion of the stroke to move downward into engagement with said initially infolded end of the shell and to complete the infolding thereof whereby to crimp the shell; initially engaged latch means releasably securing said outer and inner plungcrs together for downward travel as a unit through said initial portion of the stroke, and means to release said latch means upon completion of said initial portion of the stroke and reception of said upper portion of the shell in the bore of the outer plunger, whereby upon completion of the stroke, the inner plunger moves down- Ward independently of the outer plunger.

3. A crimping device, as in claim 2, in which the inner plunger is direct-connected to the means which causes the full stroke of the plunger unit; the latch means being arranged to transmit movement of the inner plunger to the outer plunger but only while said latch means remains in engagement.

4. A crimping device, for shotgun shells, comprising a mount, means on the mount adapted to support a shotgun shell vertically with the open end uppermost, the supported shell having a portion initially exposed for a distance below said upper end, a standard on the mount adjacent the shell, a vertical guide sleeve fixed in connection with the mount in axial alinement above the shell, an outer plunger slidable in the guide sleeve and initially in a raised position clear of the shell, said outer plunger having a downwardly opening bore adapted to receive the initially exposed portion of the shell upon predetermined limited downward travel of such plunger, means in said bore adapted to engage and partially infold the upper end of the shell upon engagement of said initially exposed portion in the bore, an inner plunger slidable in the outer plunger from a raised starting position above said partial infolding means, releasable means latching the outer plunger to the inner plunger for downward travel as a unit, means operative to impart a downstroke to the inner plunger greater in length than said limited travel of the outer plunger, and means arranged to release said latch means at the end of said limited travel of the outer plunger whereby the inner plunger, upon continuance of the stroke, moves downward in the outer plunger engaging the partially infolded end of the shell and completing the folding thereof.

5. A crimping device, as in claim 4, in which said down-stroke imparting means includes a plunger rod fixed to the inner plunger and projecting in slidable relation out of the outer plunger at the upper end of the latter, and a vertically swingable hand lever connected with said projecting portion of the plunger rod.

6. A crimping device, as in claim 4, in which the downstroke imparting means includes a vertically movable element projecting above the upper end of the outer plunger; and said releasable latch means comprising a latch arm pivoted to and depending from said element to engagement with said upper end of the outer plunger, and a cam assembly operative to swing the latch arm clear of said upper end of the outer plunger upon completion of said limited downward travel thereof.

7. A crimping device, for shotgun shells, comprising a mount, means on the mount adapted to support a shotgun shell in a stationary position vertically with the open end uppermost, the supported shell having a portion initially exposed for a distance below said upper end, a slidably supported outer plunger axially alined with the shell but initially thereabove, said outer plunger having a downwardly opening bore adapted to receive the exposed portion of the shell upon a predetermined limited down-stroke of said plunger, means in said bore operative to partially infold the end of the shell upon reception of said portion in the bore, an inner plunger slidable downward in the outer plunger between an initially raised position above said partial infolding means to a position engaging and completing the folding of the end of the shell, and means operative to impart downstrokes to said outer plunger and inner plunger in succession; said last named means including a hand lever above the plungers, said hand lever being arranged in connection with the mount for downward swinging from an initially raised position, and instrumentalities associated with the hand lever and responsive to continuous downward swinging thereof to impart said successive down-strokes to the outer and inner plungersv References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 413,435 Clifford Oct. 22, 1889 419,473 Rees Jan. 14, 1890 480,015 Hisey Aug. 2, 1892 1,166,636 Russell Jan. 4, 1916 

